WSF (5) Los Angeles Kings vs (6) San Jose Sharks (Kings win 4-3).

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

He really seemed to over react to losing in the first round in that first year after the lockout. He fired himself because he thought he wasn't a good coach for the new nhl is how it seemed to me.

I also think he became a crappier GM once he was no longer a coach. His GM moves while a coach were good. He seemed to get progressively worse as a GM as he became further and further removed from the dressing room.

It really does make you wonder what could have been.

I think this sums it up. My opinion on this (and just my opinion, not pretending it's a fact) is that as a GM (solo GM) he was never able to master the skill of matching coach to player(s). This is probably a pretty key skill for any GM to have, figuring out how to maximise the coaches style by giving him the tools he needs.

Clearly Sutter is an amazing coach, one of the best. And he was actually a pretty good GM, when he was acquiring resources for himself. Probably was too much to do both jobs, so he took a step back, and I think he simply struggled to be able to properly identify what would work best for his coaches. He kept making personel decisions that he would make if he was the one using the assets, and became frustrated when the coaches weren't using the teams he built the way he would.

So then he spent the rest of his time continuing to build teams for himself, and trying to find a coach that would coach just like him. Which lead to the hiring of his brother, but even that wasn't a close enough match. Sounds like he realized it near the end and wanted to make the move back to both roles (at least temporarily), but got vetoed by management and they punted him instead and kept his brother on as coach. Really unfortunate it took him that long to bumble around and figure it out, but I do actually believe the best thing for the team would have been for Darryl to keep both roles, and have a very helpful AGM who could eliviate his work load.

[united]

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie
SJ's Raffi Torres will have disciplinary hearing with NHL for hit on LA's Jarret Stoll. Sounds like request is for an in-person hearing.

I believe this (in person) gives the NHL the option to suspend for longer than six games, right? I originally thought it wasn't much, from reading about the hit not seeing it, but more and more it sounds like this could be a big one.

[theinfinitejar]

theinfinitejar's Guarantees: Torres is suspended, and the words "full-body check" are used at least three times in the video. Posters complain about hitting being taken out of the game.

Regular player gets 2 for that hit, Torres probably gets 5 or more.

[Azure]

Pretty dirty hit.

[puckluck2]

Bad hit but I don't think it was intentional or malicious. 2 games.

[nik-]

The problem is how do you not throw the book at Torres at this point? If he's getting suspended, it has to be huge, it can't just be a few games or 5 games.

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by nik-

The problem is how do you not throw the book at Torres at this point? If he's getting suspended, it has to be huge, it can't just be a few games or 5 games.

I don't think the hits in the same league as the Hossa hit, so you don't need to hit him with Mjolnir. Best comparable might be the Lupal hit on Hedman. 2 games for the hit, 3 or 4 times bonus for the rap sheet gives somewhere between 6 or 8 games.

[nik-]

It's totally not the same hit as the Hossa hit, but the guy is a multi repeat offender.

[Fire]

I predict Torres will get 6 games. Probably wasn't intentional but careless.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

The only reason that would be a suspension is because it is Torres delivering the hit, I didn't think that it was an overly dirty hit, the principle point of contact was the shoulder, Stoll was in a vulnerable position but if Torres doesn't make hits like those, he is out of the league.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

The only reason that would be a suspension is because it is Torres delivering the hit, I didn't think that it was an overly dirty hit, the principle point of contact was the shoulder, Stoll was in a vulnerable position but if Torres doesn't make hits like those, he is out of the league.

Torres did not target head and did not leave his feet. I do not see how he can be suspended.

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by timbit

Torres did not target head and did not leave his feet. I do not see how he can be suspended.

Torres hit him ahead of Stoll's body. If he lines up his hips with Stoll's it's a great check, instead he puts himself in front of most Stoll's body and hits him in the head. Suspension because it's illegal, big bonus multiplier for not learning.

[you got PHANUEFED]

Kings in 6 BOOK IT!

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by theinfinitejar

Torres hit him ahead of Stoll's body. If he lines up his hips with Stoll's it's a great check, instead he puts himself in front of most Stoll's body and hits him in the head. Suspension because it's illegal, big bonus multiplier for not learning.

He hit him shoulder to shoulder though. Stoll was in an awkward position after trying to glove the puck ahead and was hunched over at the waist. He hits him in the shoulder not the head from what I could see and the penalty and suspension is based on his reputation and not the actual hit in question.

[Ice]

Good grief, he hit Stoll in the side of his head. Torres must have a learning disability. His apologists make me laugh. I seriously doubt he'd be invited to an in person hearing if he hit Stoll's shoulder.

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

He hit him shoulder to shoulder though. Stoll was in an awkward position after trying to glove the puck ahead and was hunched over at the waist. He hits him in the shoulder not the head from what I could see and the penalty and suspension is based on his reputation and not the actual hit in question.

No he didn't, he grazes his shoulder slightly, and then lands a ton of contact to the head. Stoll pulls his head back and Torres still hits it. If you hit the head and don't go through the body you get suspended. If you're Raffi Torres and you do it you get a long suspension.

Look at the position of Torres hips relative to Stoll's, that is not a full body check, which is the common ingredient in every check like this that gets a suspension. Players need to start lining up hits using their hips and not shoulders to ensure a full body check and not a head pick.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Ice

Good grief, he hit Stoll in the side of his head. Torres must have a learning disability. His apologists make me laugh. I seriously doubt he'd be invited to an in person hearing if he hit Stoll's shoulder.

Torres loves to skate the entire width of the ice to deliver a hit straight to the head. Torres is brain dead he can't help himself, I say throw the book at him.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Using a picture doesn't show the hit, I am not saying that contact with the head wasn't made but the primary contact was with the shoulder of Stoll and afterwards there was contact made with the head.

As for lining up of the hips, how do you suggest that is done when Stoll is bent at the waist as was the case when Torres went to make this hit?

[zamler]

There's no defending Torres anymore, repeat offender that puts guys out with head shots.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

This wasn't a head shot though, there was contact with the head during the hit but there was more of the whiplash motion associated with the hit that caused that contact (it looked oddly enough more helmet to helmet than anything else). The initial contact was with the shoulder.

At the end of the day Stoll put himself in an awful position, wasn't situationally aware, and Torres hit him hard. While Stoll got a concussion that doesn't necessarily mean that Torres hit him with a direct head shot.